Economy Archive August 2008

Isabel Province Threatens to Revoke Logging Licenses

According to Radio New Zealand International, the Government of Isabel Province has been threatening to cancel the business licenses of logging companies in Isabel, if their outstanding debts are not settled.

Loan and Subsidy Scheme Introduced

The Government and the country's three commercial banks have joined together in a loan and subsidy scheme to help promote development projects which would provide services and development in the rural areas.

Our Telekom Explains Safety of 50m Tower

Our Telekom have received media protests by some Gizo residents who own undeveloped plots of land or who are in the process of building their residence near the Telekom communication tower at Jah Mountain, Gizo, Western Province.

50m Communication Tower to Bring Wider Coverage to Rural Areas

A 50 Meter communication tower is currently under construction at Jah Mountain, Gizo, Western province.

Solomons to Join Australian Pilot Scheme on a Later Date

Prime Minister, Dr. Derek Sikua has revealed that Solomon Islands will take part in the Australian Pacific Seasonal Worker scheme at a much later date.

Climate Change takes Centre Stage at Forum Meeting

Prime Minister, Dr. Derek Sikua, revealed in a Press Conference yesterday that 'Climate Change' took centre stage at the 39th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Niue.

Young Entrepreneurs Call on Government for Support

Young entrepreneurs called on the government to support their goals and potential as business people at the closing ceremony of the Young Entrepreneurs Retail Skills Training Workshop last night.

National Response Unit A New Initiative for Police

During the Police Press Conference yesterday, Superintendent Charles Akao, Director of National Response Unit (NRU) spoke on the roles and responsibilities of the NRU, a new initiative by the police.

Tornado Rips Through Muki Village, Are Are

The National Disaster Management Office has revealed that a Tornado ripped through Muki village, East Are Are on Malaita, leaving more than two hundred people homeless, yesterday morning.

Further Discussion for New Zealand Seasonal Work Scheme

A New Zealand delegation will travel to the Solomon Islands next month to further discuss issues relating to the Seasonal Work Scheme.

Police Uproot 140 Marijuana Plants

Detectives from the Central Police Drug Squad have charged a 50-year-old man and uprooted 140 Marijuana plants after an operation at Lunga on Tuesday, the 26 of August 2008.

Solomon Islands Marovo Lagoon- World's Largest Saltwater Lagoon

Compared to other Pacific countries, Solomon Islands have been rated by visitors as one of the best tourist destination in the region.

Man Arrested After Six Years on the Run

A man from the East Guadalcanal was arrested and charged with four counts of murder which happened in 2002 during the ethnic crisis.

Two Sites Identified for Fish Loin Factories

The Suava Harbour in Malaita Province and the Tenaru shoreline in the Guadalcanal Province, have now been identified as the sites to establish Fish Loin Factories.

Dolphin Protector Abducted and Beaten

On Tuesday, August 19th, at about 8:30 pm, City Councilor, Lawrence Makili, was abducted from his home in Honiara, Solomon Islands, by eight men in two cars.

NAPA Project Completes Workshop.

The National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) project within the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology completed a week long workshop yesterday.

Western Province to Retain Shares in Soltai

Western Province Premier Alex Lokopio revealed that his executive will ensure Western Province will continue to retain its 49 percent shares in the Soltai Fishing and Processing Company.

Intergrated Crop, Soil and Pest Management Workshop Held

A four day training course on Integrated Crop, Soil and Pest Management was held at the Custom Garden Organic Farm.

Government Urged to Involve Local Farmers

With the recent opening of the World Vegetable Center Project office, many local farmers will be able to have the chance to learn skills at improving their products.

SICA Office Broken Into

Honiara City detectives are investigating an incident in which the Solomon Islands Christian Association office at Koloale ridge was broken into.

Workshop Aims at Empowering Youths

The Young Entrepreneurs Retail Skills Training Workshop, officiated this morning was facilitated by senior executives and retail shop managers from The Body Shop in Australia.

Vegetable Project Office Launched

A Vegetable Project Office Centre was launched today at the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT) office in China Town by the 'Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center' [AVRDC].

Rice Importation A Negative Impact

The importation of rice is responsible for draining the economy of its hard earned foreign currencies.

Young Entrepreneurs Retail Skills Training Begins

A Young Entrepreneurs Retail Skills Training workshop was officially opened this morning at the Commonwealth Youth Program area at Panatina.

Four Arrested Following Marau Incident

In the Far East of Guadalcanal in Marau, a dispute occurred leaving two people injured and a logging company destructed.

Logging Company Calls for Support

Logging company, Eagon Pacific Plantation Limited has appealed to both local and overseas investors operating in Solomon Islands to follow in its footsteps by engaging in manufacturing processes.

Solomon Host Trains Provincial Tourism Operators

The Solomon Host Tourism, Training and Promotions Company in Solomon Islands are currently conducting a four day workshop on Tourism and Hospitality Training for local operators in Tulagi, Central Province.

A Bright New Concept for Solomon Islands National Museum

Solomon Islands cultural heritage will be protected, preserved and promoted, with a new innovative 'cultural field kit', developed in partnership between the Solomon Islands National Museum and the Australian Museum.

Police Urges Public to be Aware of Live Bombs

More than fifty years after World War II, the Solomon Islands Police Bomb Disposal Unit are still destroying live bombs.

$25m for Rice Development Approved

The Ministry of Agriculture submitted its Supplementary Budget, where all proposals were turned down except for the $25 million proposed to support local Rice development in the Solomon Islands.

Police Force Now Holds Weekly Parade

The Solomon Islands Police Force is now conducting a weekly Commissioner's parade, every Thursday.

Honiara City Filth a Concern

Honiara residents experienced a cleaner city when the Royal Duke and Duchess of Gloucester visited the capital.

Crack Down on Unpaid Public Transport Bills

A one month operation is ongoing in Honiara to crack down on unpaid business bills by public transport operators.

Waisisi Development Reaches Next Stage

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Mr. Henry Pika said planned development at Waisisi in West Are'are has reached the acquisition stage.

Public Questions License Issuing Authority Over Incident

Authorities issuing drivers' license have lately come under fire, after a female driver obviously suffering from a severe medical condition lost control and collided with an on coming vehicle on Monday afternoon.

Hon. Zama Raises Doubts Over Major Rural Developments

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Francis Zama has raised doubts over the progress of some of the major agricultural developments in the country.

Governor Rick Hou Farewelled

Last night, more than three hundred guests turned up to witness the farewelling of CBSI's longest serving Governor, Rick Hou.

Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme

After careful consideration, the Australian government has agreed to establish a pilot scheme for unskilled/semi-skilled Pacific island workers to participate in seasonal labour opportunities in Australia.

Disability Workshop Organized in Honiara

Yesterday, a two day workshop was organized for the Solomon Islands disability stakeholders in the Solomon Islands.

Students Receive Scholarship

This morning, eight lucky Solomon Islanders received their scholarship during a handing over ceremony between the Taiwan Embassy and Ministry for Education.

Taiwan Donates $10m to Education

The Taiwan Embassy has donated $10 million to the Ministry for Education and Human Resources.

Solomons Miss Out But Happy for Pacific Neighbours

Thousands of lucky Pacific Islanders, namely from Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea will now be allowed to live and work in Australia under a new guest worker plan.

Solomons Miss Out on World Youth Tour 2009

The Solomon Islands will not participate in the World Youth Tour Program 2009, aboard the Japanese cruise liner, Nippon Maru.

Government Approves Support for Locally Grown Rice

The Solomon Islands Government has approved $25 million dollars for the Ministry of Agriculture.

Taiwan Awards Scholarships

The Embassy of Taiwan has awarded eight Solomon Islanders scholarships to study in Taiwan.

'Service for Peace' Cleans Up National Hospital

Today, some of the local youths under the 'Service for Peace' organization did a voluntary clean up around the National Referral Hospital.

RAMSI Base Tour Leaves Media Impressed

This morning, Solomon Times along with other media counterparts were invited into the RAMSI base with an informal meeting and a tour of the base.

Another Accident in Honiara

After much attempt by the Royal Solomon Islands Police along with their RAMSI counterparts to raise awareness on road safety, another accident happened in East Honiara last night, along the Fishing Village area.

Critical Doctor Shortages in Solomon Islands

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has warned that unless doctor training is vigorously pursued as a matter of priority by the Solomon Islands Government, the country will continue to experience a critical shortage of doctors for years to come.

Don Bosco Celebrates Family Day

The Don Bosco School was in celebration frenzy when Solomon Times went to visit them on Friday 15th during their Family Day celebrations.

Learning Something New and Different

Japanese language classes in Honiara have been quite an experience for the participants, giving them a chance to learn a whole new language and understand a whole new culture.

Government Compensates Gun Owners

The Sikua Government is now in the process of compensating gun owners the equivalent of the destroyed guns' market value.

Government Urged to Give More Support to Ministry Of Health

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, has appealed to the Government to give every support it can, to ensure that the doctor exchange and training scheme, between Solomon Islands and Cuba receives priority support to continue and on a timely basis.

Japanese Class A Hit

Free Japanese language classes have been organized for almost a month now and for both teacher and students, it had been quite an awesome experience.

IDC Shipping Facing Problems

Isabel Development Company (IDC) Shipping is now facing financial problems due to mismanagement.

'Informal Housing Sectors' A Problem

As the informal housing industry spirals out of control, so too are the problems related to the growing industry.

Counterfeit Notes Circulates Again

Much to the frustration of many people, the counterfeit notes are circulating the country, yet again.

RSIP Upgrades Maritime Unit

The Maritime unit of the Solomon Islands Police Force [SIPF] has new facilities to improve maritime surveillance targeting illegal fishing, transnational crime and search and rescue at sea. A new operations room was officially opened today at SIPF's portside office.

'Kwaso' Still a Major Problem

The high rate of selling and consumption of 'Kwaso' has concerned the police despite the many attempts to prevent it.

New Biodiversity Book Introduced

A two day workshop to introduce teachers to a newly introduced teacher's guide book on biodiversity is currently underway in Honiara.

Government Urged to Fast Track Palm Oil Project

Tribal leaders of Auluta Basin in East Malaita have re-echoed their call on the National Government to step up the implementation of the Auluta Basin Palm Oil Project.

ADB Welcomes Passage of Secured Transactions Act

Asian Development Bank applauds Solomon Islands for passing the Secured Transactions Act, which makes it easier for its people to access business loans from commercial banks.

High Rental Rates Boosts Demand for 'Informal Housing'

As cost for rent in Honiara continue to spiral out of control a new market has emerged - the informal housing sector.

Household Chores for Children, A Common Pratice

In the Solomon Islands, it is a common traditional practice for children to do household chores.

RAMSI Laments Passing of One of the Region's Genuine Advocates

The untimely death of Greg Urwin, until recently, Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum, was a great loss to the region, the Acting RAMSI Special Coordinator, Jonathan Austin, said today.

Logging Monitoring Division Introduced

It has been revealed that the Ministry of Forests has created a Monitoring Division to monitor logging activities within the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands Experience Economic Growth

The Solomon Islands Finance Minister, Hon. Snyder Rini announced in Parliament yesterday that the Solomon Islands economy grew at a rate of 10.3% in 2007.

Assault Cases High in the Solomons

It has been estimated that in the Solomon Islands, almost 85%-90% of sexual assault cases of adults and children alike have not been reported to the local police or authorities.

USP Students Receive Only Half of Allowance

Solomon Island students have begun smiling again after receiving their second semester allowances.

Grassroots Project Gives North Malaitan Youths 'Ray of Light'

A grassroots project to address the needs of youth and their communities in North Malaita, Solomon Islands, is moving quickly to identify the training needs of youth leaders, in the region and is seeking financial support for the initiative.

Underpass Not Being Used

With the rise in the rates of accidents, some Honiara residents are wondering why people do not use the underpass and overhead bridge structured within the town areas.

RSIP Up on Rapid Response

The Solomon Islands Police has developed an after hours call out system which Police Acting Commissioner, Peter Marshall has described as the best in the Australasian region.

Frustrations Over Loiterers

Complaints have been raised from the tenants of the National Provident Fund (NPF) Plaza and the Anthony Saru building in Point Cruz, regarding the noise from loiterers around the area.

Hon. Darcy Challenges Youths on International Youth Day

Hundreds of excited Honiara youths, this morning, made an early start to the "International Youth Day" with a march through town, on the theme "Youth and Climate Change; Time for Action."

USP Students Still Waiting

The Solomon Islands students studying at the University of the South Pacific are still waiting first semester allowance.

Multipurpose Hall Still Closed

The ongoing closure of the Honiara Multipurpose Hall has angered many multipurpose regulars.

Burning of Kakabona Police Post Angers Police

Guadalcanal Provincial Police Commander Chief Superintendent, George Guna said he is very disappointed that members of the community would turn on police particularly when they are providing policing services at their door steps.

Man Charged With Fraud

Detectives from the National Investigations' Fraud Section arrested and charged a man on 5 August 2008, for allegedly forging several cheques and cashing them at one of the commercial banks in Honiara.

Late USP Student Arrives Home

Yesterday, the body of Late Patrick Campbell, a third year law student, arrived in Honiara to his family.

Police Conducts Emergency Medical Evacuation from Ongtong Java

The Solomon Islands Police Maritime Vessel, MV Lata, returned to Honiara early yesterday afternoon from a medical evacuation trip to one of the outlying atolls of the Solomons, Ongtong Java.

FYCS Encourages Participation Out Of Class

On Friday the 8th, the Florence Young Christian School (FYCS) held a singing and drama contest for the first time, on the theme; 'Bloom where you are planted'.

Munda Celebrates 'Conservation Day'

Solomon Islands, today, joins the world to celebrate 'Conservation Day.'

Customers Raise Frustrations Over "Our Telekom" Service

While there are higher demands for the service of "Our Telekom", members of the public are also complaining over the inefficient service of "Our Telekom" to meet the demand.

Our Telekom to Launch Buala Breeze Mobile Service

Our Telekom will launch its GSM Breeze Mobile Service in the Isabel Provincial capital, Buala, on Thursday 21st August. Our Telekom will also be making special sales on mobile phones and other accessories.

Student Studying in USP Dies

Reports from Fiji confirmed that a student studying in the University of the South Pacific died yesterday, in Suva, Fiji.

Frustrations Over Unstable Bus Fare Rates

Bus fare rates are still unstable as people face more and more difficulty at the high cost of living in the country.

USP Students Frustrated with Delay in Allowance

Solomon Island students studying in the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, are raising frustrations over the delay in their second semester allowance.

Telekom Recieves New Vehicles

Five new Suzuki Jimny vehicles, sporting the Telekom Red, arrived last month and are now ready to join the service fleet.

Solomon Island Lawyer Admitted to the Bar in New Zealand

A Solomon Islander was among lawyers admitted as Barristers and Solicitors of the High court of New Zealand at a ceremony in Auckland on 25th July.

Police Arrest Men for Murder

Police have arrested two men in relation to an incident where a 21-year-old man died at Burns Creek on Sunday morning. Detectives from the Serious Crime Squad and Naha CID are leading the investigation.

Solomons Launch Five-in-One Vaccine for Children

A new vaccine launched in the Solomons will help save lives of young children.

Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in the Solomon Islands

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester arrived at the Honiara International Airport amid tight security provided by the Police and members of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI.

Officials Visit NZ Employers of Solomon Workers

Solomon Islands Government sent a delegation of officials to meet with employers and government officials in New Zealand to discuss ways to enable more workers from Solomon Islands to work in New Zealand picking fruit in future.

Outside Influence Driving Youths Apart

They want to act like them, they want to talk like them. We are talking about the youths of Honiara who are, these days, going out of their way to be like their movie icons.

Royal Visit to Solomon Islands

People of Solomon Islands are looking forward to its second royal visit since it gained independence from Great Britain 30 years ago.

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